Education and Employment – Evolving to Bridge the Workforce GapBy Angelo Gonzales | Chief Strategy Officer, United Way of Central New Mexico Jessica Nojek | Executive Director, Mission: Graduate, United Way of Central New Mexico May 22, 2019Graduation season is upon us, and with that, we asked the experts at Mission: Graduate to give us a window into their evolving …
Buy Local, Invest in Our EconomyMay 8, 2019Image: Felix Mauro Torres, Owner & Operator of Southwest Heritage Mill Local shops encourage it. It is on signs at farmers markets. The “buy local” message is a call to collectively lift up local businesses. But it isn’t just about “feeling good”. Buying locally has real economic advantages that make us all better …
How to Reimagine Native Creative EconomiesBy Lee Francis IV | Owner, Native Realities LLCApril 24, 2019Photo of artist Rod Velarde, Indigenous Comic Con 2016 The Land of Mañana. It implies an ease of life; one in which you have no cares or worries till tomorrow. It’s a phrase of warmth and sunsets, of living life at a different speed. It’s …
Closing the Gaps in the New Year By Robin Brulé | Chief Executive StrategistWhen we embarked on this experiment in collective impact nearly five years ago we did not know where the path would lead. We knew Albuquerque was facing some of our toughest economic challenges. We knew there were no simple solutions. We knew that progress toward realizing our …
Small Business and the Health of Our CityBy Robin Brulé, Chief Strategist, City AliveIt is urgently important that we focus energy on building small, homegrown businesses and a strong system of support services and resources to help them succeed.Small business is one of the pillars of Albuquerque’s economy. From restaurants, to childcare centers, to cleaning services, gift shops, breweries and …
Can a Business Have a Social Mission and Still Be Profitable? Kei & Molly Prove It’s PossibleKei Tsuzuki and Molly Luethi are local entrepreneurs who make beautiful textiles—but more than that, they’ve experienced enormous growth in two years without losing sight of their social mission.In 2016, when City Alive first interviewed them, the business had nine employees and a small …
Our Businesses Need to Reflect Our City’s Diversity By Synthia Jaramillo, Director of Economic Development, City of Albuquerque | September 27, 2018 As a state with a majority of people of color, we need to do things differently than everywhere else.Synthia Jaramillo, Director of Economic Development, CABQAlbuquerque’s rich history and cultural diversity are unrivaled—they are what make us special. And …
On Hispanic Heritage Month: The Complex Intersections of Race, Culture, History and Economy By Michelle Melendez, Director of Equity and Inclusion, City of Albuquerque | September 27, 2018 If we are to tackle the issues that are holding Hispanics back, we must start by questioning our own thinking, and by deconstructing the social construct and rebuilding systems that work for …
Three Sisters Kitchen: Boosting the Food Economy One Biscochito at a Time September 6, 2018 In Albuquerque, the food industry has potential to be a major economic driver, and is one of the most accessible entry points for minority entrepreneurs. City Alive’s Small Business Landscape Assessment report found food businesses have great scale-up potential, but the upfront costs remain the …
It’s Not Just Beer at Bow & Arrow: A Brewery Linking Indigenous Culture, Community September 4, 2018 The brewing industry brought in a reported $1.6 billion in economic output in 2016, and is only continuing to climb. According to the Beer Serves America impact study, there is a total 13,076 jobs connected to New Mexico’s beer sector, generating at total …
